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Gender, ethnicity, religiosity, and same-sex sexual attraction and the acceptance of same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity

Journal

Sex Roles

Volume | Issue number

68 | 11-12

Pages (from-to)

724-737

Document type

Article

Faculty

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG)

Institute

Research Institute of Child Development and Education (RICDE)

Abstract

This study explored the role of gender, ethnicity, religiosity, and sexual attraction in adolescents’ acceptance of same-sex
sexuality and gender non-conformity. Using an intersectionality perspective, we also tested whether the effects of gender,
ethnicity, and religiosity on adolescents’ attitudes would function differently in adolescents with and without same-sex attractions.
Data for this study were collected by means of a paper questionnaire completed by 1,518 secondary school students (mean age = 14.56
years, SD = 1.05) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The sample was 48.1% female and 51.9% male. Approximately one third of adolescents
in the sample were of a non-Western ethnic background (32.3%, n = 491) and 7.5% of the participants (n = 114) reported experiencing
same-sex attractions. Results of our analyses showed that adolescents in our sample who were male, of non-Western ethnicity,
and who were more religious (as indicated by frequency of religious service attendance), were less accepting of same-sex sexuality
and gender non-conformity in comparison to female, Western and less religious peers. We also found a significant interaction
effect between religiosity and sexual attractions, but only in relation to evaluation of same-sex attracted, gender non-conforming
females. The negative effect of religiosity on acceptance of same-sex attracted, gender non-conforming females was stronger
among those adolescents who reported same-sex attractions.

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